My girls are showing so much interest in the changes that are taking place outside with the cooler weather, so this week our focus is on the weather.
I wanted to try a different sensory filler to introduce this theme to the girls, and I figured water beads would be perfect for our weather themed sensory bin.

Did You Know?

Weather impacts the everyday lives of people around the world. Understanding weather is a tricky concept for our little ones. Many children are often times afraid of thunder and lightning but love playing in muddy puddles and will spend forever looking at a beautiful rainbow. When learning about the weather on a daily basis, young children are learning key vocabulary in order for them to be able to talk about the weather. As homeschooling parents and teachers of young children, we are in the best position to share our knowledge about the weather with our little ones developing a lifelong interest in the world around them.

In a preschool setting, discussing the weather for the day is always a part of the morning Circletime. When the weather is discussed on a daily basis, reasoning skills are being promoted, and our little ones are being encouraged to ask questions regarding the weather. Also, on a daily basis, as educators, we are given the opportunity to discuss how we dress and the safety precautions to take during different weather conditions.

I purchased the small water beads that I used from Amazon, but water beads can also be found in many craft stores.

One of the things I love about using water beads is that any activity they are used in, I believe, is considered simple and low prep.

I presented the girls with this activity after we observed the day’s weather, sang, read books and observed pictures about the weather.

This activity kept them busy for an extended period of time.

I would recommend that this activity be supervised even though the packet with the water beads state that they are non-toxic. The packets also state that they should not be ingested. My little ones do not put items from the sensory bins I put together in their mouths, but I know little ones their age that will.

What you need to put this activity together:

• Blue water beads (I ordered a pack that came with 5 small bags; I only used one bag.)
• Plastic ice cubes (I told the girls they were hail.)
• Foam sheets cut into raindrops.
• Pipe cleaners (Used to represent lightning bolts.)
• Cotton balls (Used to represent clouds.)
• Pom-poms (Used to represent clouds.)
• A few containers (For scooping and spooning)
• Spoons
• A yellow bottle cap (Used to represent the sun.)

While the girls played we:

• Discussed how we get dressed for rainy/sunny weather.
• Sorted raindrops with their names into containers.
• Squeezed water from cotton balls working the small muscles in their hands.
• Learned weather vocabulary.
• Discussed where the rain comes from.
• Spooned and filled containers discussing the opposite words empty and full.

One twin sorting raindrops with their names.

When our children are able to sort and classify objects, it helps them to make sense of the world around them. Sorting and classifying teach young children about sizes, shapes, colours, similarities and differences. The concepts of simple sorting and classifying help children to understand the notion of belonging to a group and, of equal importance, to understand that objects can be grouped in different ways or regrouped. For example, a blue square could be grouped with blue objects, squared objects or objects that are blue and squared.

One twin picking up water beads with a spoon. Spooning develops focus, concentration, hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

Spooning also helps little ones master the three-finger grip and prepare little ones for other learning activities

The girls enjoyed playing with the water beads. Most of all they enjoyed squeezing them and allowing them to slip through their fingers.

Their brother was tasked with the job of cleaning up, and he did not seem so enthused, so please make plans to contain the mess because the balls are very bouncy.

If you want to recreate this weather sensory bin without having to plan for the mess, you can try:

• Decorative blue stones
• Coloured rice
• Coloured chickpeas
• Pom poms

I think they would work just as well as sensory fillers for a weather-themed sensory bin.

The sensory weather bin kept us all busy for over an hour. I must say I enjoyed playing with the beads as much as the girls did. I intend to freeze the beads after I think the girls have had enough of them for this week. Freezing them will provide the girls with a sensory activity in the near future that will enable them to develop an understanding of temperature, heating, cooling, and changes of matter as they melt and disintegrate.

I do hope you find the information in this article useful. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us by sending us a message or visiting us @learning.stepbystep on Instagram, Learning Step By Step on Facebook and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for educational resources that will help you and your littles on their learning journey as they continue to Learn Step By Step!

Thank you for being here!

Kimberlee and the Learning Step By Step Team.